Hackathons’ benefits to business include fast-tracked R&D, marketing, improved employee engagement, problem solving, recruitment strategies and more.
Initially an avenue for developers to embark on intensive coding sprees, hackathons have evolved into a more holistic innovation tool for many forward-thinking companies.
People who have never taken part in a hackathon may be unsure exactly what’s involved. Combining the terms ‘hack’ and ‘marathon’, the common format normally involves individuals pitching ideas, forming teams and creating working products over a pre-determined period of time.
Hackathons can vary in length, but typically occur over a few days. Topics can be broad, or focused on solving a particular issue. Some of the themes covered in Western Australia include: social impact matters; national open data hackathons such as GovHack, which covers topics from oceans to bankruptcy; resources challenges through Unearthed; the EnergyLab Perth Smart Buildings Hackathon; and niche subjects such as honey.
The next Honey Hackathon is being held in May, and will focus on presenting the unique value of WA’s pure honey to international markets. Over a one-day session, the public has been invited to help solve this industry challenge with the support of experts.
One of the best-known hackathons in Perth is Techstar’s Startup Weekend, in partnership with Google for Startups. It was held in Perth earlier this month for the 13th time since it launched here in 2012.
The event involves 100 people from all walks of life collaborating over 54 hours to generate new business ideas. It’s fast-paced, exhausting and exhilarating at the same time.
“Startup Weekend is important for the overall innovation ecosystem in Perth because it helps introduce people to entrepreneurship and get them excited about the possibility of starting their own business,” organiser of the biannual event, Nate Sturcke, told Business News.
Hackathons get people thinking creatively and solving real problems, whether they are business-minded professionals, designers, programmers or otherwise motivated.
So where do hackathons fit in the corporate innovation toolbox?
Hackathons are being used as everything from fast-tracked research and development programs, to marketing activities, employee engagement tools, and even as part of recruitment strategies.
Toy company Hasbro once held a hackathon where 150 developers came and produced 45 products. When you compare this to traditional research and development, it presents billions of dollars in value realised through a mere few days of work.
In 2017, the US Navy used hackathons as a way to find top cyber security talent and to crowdsource innovation, setting the challenge of: ‘Find(ing) a way to crack the security systems of military drones and warships’.
In an effort to attract those who are interested in keeping their country safe but don’t necessarily wish to enlist, these competitions are a resourceful way to detect system vulnerabilities and guide the future decision making of the organisation. They demonstrate highly effective, real-world outcomes.
Few people would face a pressing operational issue and turn to hackathons, but Elon Musk ordered a Tesla employee hackathon to resolve production bottlenecks for the company’s Model 3. Tesla had a target of producing 5,000 Model 3s per week by the end of the third quarter of 2018 and had many frustrated fans on the waitlist due to the sluggish delivery of the vehicles.
In a response to criticism on the matter, Mr Musk tweeted: ‘Fair criticism, but we’re fixing it fast. Hackathon going on right now to fix two worst robot production choke points. Looks promising.’ Bloomberg’s Model 3 tracker suggests the company is now producing more than 5,300 units per week.
Coming from a social responsibility angle is PayPal’s Opportunity Hack. Participants from the public can join PayPal employees across four different locations and donate their skills to around 17 non-profit organisations, one of which is in India’s No Food Waste group.
“The technology we are building in two to three months, these people are doing it in three to four hours,” No Food Waste spokesperson Gopalan Padmanaban said.
Not only is the time factor important, hackathons enable non-profit groups to develop tangible products they wouldn’t otherwise have the resources or skills to build.
Companies such as Netflix, IBM and Amazon host internal hackathons to improve staff engagement and devise new products or services. Netflix is known for having fun with the experience. Last year resulted in the development of clever Face ID technology, which tracks eye movements and lets people trigger a ‘tap’ with a gaze held on one spot. It also enabled people to dismiss a screen by simply sticking their tongue out. This sort of technology isn’t necessarily ready for public use, but can form the beginning of great ideas.
In Perth, Unearthed has been experimenting with hackathons for a number of years, culminating in the team launching an open-source innovation platform that allows anyone to solve resource and energy issues from anywhere in the world. This approach allows Unearthed to tap into the best talent globally, helping companies like BHP, Caterpillar and Komatsu solve challenges and drive change.
WA companies are similarly recognising the value in hackathons and embracing the process, including Bankwest, Western Power, and the Royal Automobile Club of WA. It’s an excellent engagement opportunity, builds confidence in individuals, fosters collaboration and is a powerful driver of innovation.
